NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Changes could soon be coming to bus and rail service in Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing to increase rail fares and cut down on service.
Under the proposal, fares on Metro-North, CTRail Hartford Line and Shore Line East would increase by about 4.5%. It also includes adding new bus routes and discontinuing others.
The DOT is also proposing cuts to service on the New Haven line, New Canaan line, Danbury line, and the Shoreline East, which would go from 23 to 16 trains.
At a public hearing in New Haven Monday evening, much of the focus was on the impacts on trains along the shoreline.
"The specific trains that I use on a regular basis are proposed to be eliminated," said Ewing Leon of Westchester County, N.Y.
"Cutting services will effectively be the end of Shoreline East putting this part of the state at even greater disadvantage than wealthier areas like Fairfield County," said Jessica Hager of Branford.
The DOT said the changes come from the state budget passed by lawmakers and signed by the governor earlier this year and that it’s reflective of current ridership levels.
"We’re certainly seeing lots of people utilize public transportation throughout Connecticut the days of the week and the times of the day, that’s where things have changed," said Benjamin Limmer, bureau chief of public transportation for CT DOT.
In a statement, Gov. Ned Lamont's office said:
The budget supports rail service that reflects current demand in light of more people working remotely. There are more trains running today on the New Haven Line despite only 70% ridership recovery. Shore Line East ridership has, thus far, been more slower to come back - only about 30% pre pandemic ridership - and service along the line will reflect the demand. We are committed to ensuring that service meets the demands across all of our rail lines.
Monday's meeting is the first of four public hearings being held this week about the issue, where people will have the chance to learn more about the potential changes and share their concerns.
"We are a public service and in order to effectively run a public service you need customer input," Limmer said.
Those who spoke out against the proposal say the problems with it range from inconveniences related to the schedule to major life impacts for those who depend on the service.
"A lot of people who have to get to work with disabilities and stuff like that they have less options and they’re going to be stranded," Leon said.
Advocates for public transportation worry that impacts could be far-reaching.
"This isn’t just a ridership issue which is big enough in itself, but now the area employers, Yale, Pfizer, Electric Boat, anyone up and down the shoreline that’s trying to recruit people, that’s a problem," said Susan Feaster of Ivoryton.
However, the plan is not final quite yet.
"Even though the budget was passed, they can still do a little moving around of resources and stuff so it’s important for people to show up, have their voices heard," Leon said.
Another public hearing will be held Tuesday night in Hartford but there are several other ways to submit your comments to the DOT.
- Make a comment at any time from Sept. 18 to Oct. 6, 2023, by email, phone, US Mail or the local libraries, using the information below.
- To make a comment during a public hearing: Register for the hearing by clicking the registration link above or by calling (860)-594-3612.
- Email: dot.proposedtransitchanges@ct.gov
- Voicemail: (860) 594-3612
- US Mail: COMMENT ON PROPOSED FARE AND SERVICE CHANGES, Bureau of Public Transportation, P.O. Box 317546, Newington, CT 06131-7546.
More information on the proposal and the public hearings can be found here.
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